Ohio State football public address announcer Bob Kennedy dies
Bob Kennedy, the public address announcer for Ohio State football games since 2003, has died, the school said. He was 59.
Kennedy became synonymous with fall Saturdays at Ohio Stadium with his recognizable voice echoing throughout the stands. He was known for a smooth baritone that dripped into the ears of the hundreds of thousands of scarlet and gray-clad fans fans who packed the Horseshoe.
In an interview with The Dispatch in 2018, he said, “My voice carries. It always has.”
Kennedy also handled PA duties for other Buckeyes sports, the Clippers and Otterbein, and worked as a radio personality for the WDLR station in Delaware. He had been scheduled to be behind the mic for Ohio State's baseball game against Illinois on Sunday.
“Bob had a big heart and he loved his Buckeyes,” associate athletic director for communications Jerry Emig said in a statement. “And he loved his PA jobs. He was a true professional at his craft and a friend to us all. He knew the local media, our administrators, coaches and student-athletes, and he certainly knew the histories well of many Ohio State sports, and he loved to talk about them.”
The Clippers also paid tribute to Kennedy in a statement released Monday morning.
"Bob had been a part of our Clippers family for many years, and most recently he was our 'designated pinch-announcer' when we needed help," said president and general manager Ken Schnacke. "His booming voice was recognized throughout central Ohio, and you could never meet a kinder person than Bob. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to his family."
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Contact him at jkaufman@dispatch.com or on Twitter @joeyrkaufman.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Bob Kennedy, longtime Ohio State football PA announcer, dies
